Car-door hanger.



PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907.

P. M. ELLIOTT. GAR DOOR HANGER. APPLICATION rmm we. 6. 1906.

1m: NORIUS PITRRS co, WASHINGTON, n. c,

PERCY M. ELLIOTT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-DOOR HANGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filed August 6,1906. Serial No. 329,297-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERCY M. ELLIOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Door Hangers, of

which I do declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation, showing the upper portion of a car and a car door equipped with my invention. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing one of the hangers upon an enlarged scale and with the parts in the position assumed when the car door is being shifted. Figf 3 is a view in vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

My present invention has for its object to provide an improved car door hanger of such character that when the car door is at rest its weight shall be taken off of the friction rollers that serve to support the door while being shifted from closed to open position, or vice versa. To this end the invention consists in the novel car door hanger hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

A designates the side of a freight car that will be provided with the usual doorway adapted to be closed by the door B. Above the doorway of the car extends a track 0 that may consist of a Z-bar having a horizontal bearing surface 0 and upper and lower flanges c and 0 My improved hanger D is shown as provided with a lower portion adapted to be suitably attached to the upper portion of the car door B and, as shown, the hanger D is formed with a raised flange or rib d adapted to extend behind the depending flange 0 of the track 0. The upper portion of the hanger D extends over the horizontal portion of the track G and forms a housing and bearing for the friction or bearing roller E that has fixed thereto an axle or pintle e. The inner portion of the upper part of the hanger D is provided with a depending bearing portion d adapted to rest upon the horizontal surface 1; of the track 0, when the car door is at rest. As shown, both the inner and outer portions of the hanger D are formed with long slots d to receive the ends of the axle e of the roller E, and the upper surfaces d of the slots al are curved or inclined, as shown, for a purpose to be presently stated. The depth, 2'. 6., the distance from top to bottom of the grooves cl is such that when the axle or pintle of the roller E is in its normal or central position, as shown in Fig. l, the bearing portion d of the hanger will rest upon the track 0 and the weight of the car door will thus be supported, not by the friction roller, but by the hanger D. If, however,

l f I i l l 1 the car door be moved in either direction, the inclined or curved upper surfaces d of the hanger D will ongage the projecting ends of the axle or pintle e of the roller E and ride sufficiently thereon to cause the weight of the door to be sustained by the rollers so long as the door is being shifted. As soon, however, as the door reaches a position of rest, the jarring of the car incident to its movement will cause the axle of each of the rollers E to move towards the deepest or central portions of the slots 01 of the hanger until the bearing portion d of each of the hangers rests upon the horizontal part c of the track. Thus, by reference to Fig. l of the drawings, it will be seen that the car door there shown is in closed position, and, at such time, the axles e of each of the rollers E occupy central positions in the slots d of the hangers D, and the weight of the car door B is thus borne by the hangers independently of the rollers E. On the other hand, by reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that if the door be shifted, for the purpose of opening it in the direction of the arrow, (Fig. 2) the inclined portions d of the hangers D will ride up upon the axle c of the rollers E and will cause the weight of the door to be sustained by the rollers so that the door may be readily shifted.

So far as I am aware, my invention presents the first instance of a car door hanger having a bearing portion adapted to sustain the weight of the car door when said door is at rest, said hanger being provided also with a friction roller or rolling support and with means whereby the longitudinal movement of the door causes the weight of the door to be automatically trans ferred from said bearing portion to said friction roller or rolling support.

While I have illustrated and described what I regard as the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is manifest that the details may be varied within wide limits without departing from the scope of the invention. The advantages incident to my present invention will be readily appreciated by those familiar with this class of devices. When the car door is at rest, its weight is borne by the hangers, independently of the bearing rollers and, consequently, not only is there less danger of the accidental shift of the door, but the wear upon the rollers and their pintles is much less when they are thus relieved from sustaining the weight of the door.

2. A car door hanger comprising a bearing portion arranged to engage a fixed rail or ranged to engage a fixed rail or support and to sustain the car door and provided with a roller and with lifting means controlled by the movement of the car door for automatically raising said bearing portion of the hanger away from said rail or support-when the car door is shifted longitudinally.

3. A car door hanger provided with a roller and with an inclined way to receive the axle of said roller and having a part arranged to engage a fixed rail or support on the car and sustain the weight of the car door, independently of said roller, when the door is at rest.

4. A car door hanger conipris' g a hearing portion artrack and provided with an inclined way and a bearingroller, the rim whereof is in proximity to said hearing portion of the hanger and the axle whereof is within said inclined way.

5. A car door hanger comprising a bearing part arranged to engage a fixed rail or support and sustain the car door when at rest and provided with a longitudinally extending, inclined way and with a bearing roller having its axle longitudinally movable within said inclined way of the hanger.

G. A car door hanger provided with a bearing roller and with a bearing portion arranged to engage a fixed rail or track and having an inclined way wherein the axle of said roller is inovahly retained, the highest portion of said inclined way being at a greater distance from the hanger track than is the top of the axle of said hearing roller, whereby, tained by the hanger independently of said roller and whereby when the door is shifted, its weight will he sustained by said roller.

7. A car door hanger, the lower portion whereof is provided with means whereby it may be attached to the car door and the upper part whereof is provided with a hearing roller and with longitudinal slots wherein the axle of said roller is movably mounted, the upper edges of said longitudinal slots being inclined, and the upper part of said hanger being provided with a hearing portion arranged to engage a fixed rail or support and thus sustain the car door independently of said roller.

PERCY M. ELLIOTT.

Witnesses:

Gun. 1. Fisnnn, Jr., KATHARINE Gunmen.

when the door is at rest, it will be sus- 

